


Here and Now

by Siver



Series: Final Fantasy VI/Ghost Trick [41]
Category: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Genre: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, FFVI GT AU, Final Fantasy VI AU, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:21:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22120231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siver/pseuds/Siver
Summary: FFVI AU. It's an adjustment in this new life. They're all home now.
Relationships: Alma/Cabanela/Jowd (Ghost Trick)
Series: Final Fantasy VI/Ghost Trick [41]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1169099
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Here and Now

They were running late thanks to a meeting gone long and a minor chocobo related mishap and all the little things that seemed to pile up in a day when there was something to be looked forward to.

“I hope he hasn’t been waiting too long,” Alma said as they approached their rooms.

“A little waiting might do him some good,” Jowd replied with a shrug. “Nothing to do, a chance to learn a foreign concept.

Alma gave a small laugh but Jowd caught the worried edge in it. He’d spoken in jest, mostly, but it wasn’t far off the mark either. Returning to Figaro seemed to have done little to change Cabanela’s habits. If anything Jowd wondered if he’d only found more to do with his time beyond the continuing reconstruction of Mobliz and his very secret, not very secret at all project in Tzen—his excitement there, while contagious and thrilling to see, didn’t do him any favours in secret-keeping.

“Oh,” Alma said quietly, stopping dead as they entered the room.

Cabanela had waited. And waiting he did, while draped across their sofa sound asleep.

“Maybe we should leave him.” Alma’s smile was soft as she gazed at him. “There’s always…” she paused and her smile grew wider, “another day.” 

Jowd felt a slow growing warmth at her words. This was their life now. It was taking some getting used to all over again and what felt even stranger was the desire to do so.

It wasn’t an option they needed. Cabanela shifted with an unintelligible mumble and eyes cracked open. “Mooornin’,” he said sleepily as he sat up.

Jowd chuckled. “You’re a bit late there, or very behind.” He realized his words a moment too late when Cabanela’s face went blank and Alma winced.

Thoughtless words—he remained a master there, one skill honed over the years. Easy to throw around when the sole target treated it as another game or ignored him completely. Nothing to hurt there. Life had changed drastically in that regard as well.

“I didn’t keep you waitin’, did I?” Cabanela asked, the blankness fading into a weak smile. And Jowd recognized all too well the forced casual cheer in his voice, gone unnoticed back then until something of his old self showed and Jowd had wondered how he’d missed his fronts when they now seemed as obvious and unnatural as snow in the desert.

“I’m afraid we kept you waiting,” said Alma. She took a seat beside him. “I’m sorry. You can keep napping if you’d like. We can always do this tomorrow.”

“We caaan, can’t we?” Cabanela said. Jowd frowned at the distance in his voice. “Sometimes it’s easy to forget. It’s all done. It’s over.” He stared at seemingly nothing and his words were faint. “What now?”

That drove Jowd to Cabanela’s other side and to take him in his arms. Cabanela wasn’t supposed to sound lost. Not ever again.

“Now we take this time for ourselves,” Alma said. “This right here, right now.”

“Without trying to look five steps ahead,” Jowd added. He caught Cabanela’s chin and studied him, his gaze wandering over those eyes turned nearly grey for how pale they had become, but still holding all their familiarity, over the curve of his nose, the added wrinkles and grey in his hair, everything that was him now. Then he kissed him.

He only caught a brief glimpse of Cabanela’s eyes widening, a split second’s triumph in catching this man off-guard, before he pressed into him returning the kiss. This was good. This was simple. No fears looming over them, no desperation, just them in this moment.

When Jowd broke away Cabanela dropped his head into his shoulder turning to bury his face in his neck while one hand ran through his beard. No desperation, but maybe some clinging and Jowd found he was perfectly fine with that.

However, he couldn’t be the only target of Cabanela’s affection. Cabanela slipped away and turned into Alma’s arms.

“We missed you,” she said before embracing him and treating him to a kiss of her own.

That was also a sight he hadn’t realized how much he missed as he watched Cabanela melt into her arms and his fingers ran through her hair. Sight, feeling, the way they all simply fit together. Jowd leaned over to wrap them both into a hug.

Cabanela found one of Jowd’s hands while he continued to hold onto Alma. “I never stopped loving you.”

“We know,” Alma said.

“Nor did we,” Jowd said heavily.

It might have been easier if they had, Jowd reflected. He wondered if he had. Then he wondered if there was much difference between love and hate. Then he stopped wondering at all—what did it matter for trash?

But not now. Not now. They sat, Cabanela safe between them where he belonged, entangled in one another’s arms. Now was theirs and they would make the most of it.


End file.
